Cleaning device and cleaning method for nozzle arrangement surface

Abstract

A cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface is a cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface in which a nozzle for discharging a liquid is arranged, and includes a cloth wiping unit, a moving unit, and a posture changing mechanism. The cloth wiping unit is provided with a pulling-out part of a cloth piece and a pulling-out part, and a wiping area based on the cloth piece is arranged between the pulling-out part and the pulling-out part. The moving unit is capable of moving the cloth wiping unit between a cleaning position at which the nozzle arrangement surface is cleaned and a retracted position at which the cleaning is not performed. The posture changing mechanism is capable of changing the posture of the wiping region such that the wiping region is brought into a cleaning posture in which the wiping region comes into contact with the nozzle arrangement surface at the cleaning position and the wiping region is brought into a retracted posture in which the wiping region is separated from the nozzle arrangement surface at the retracted position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and a method for cleaning a nozzle arrangement surface on which nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged. Background Art

[0002] Inkjet recording devices, such as inkjet printers, include a head with multiple nozzles that eject ink or a predetermined processing liquid. In such a head, the nozzle arrangement surface must be cleaned at predetermined intervals to eliminate nozzle blockage and remove contamination. Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer that cleans the nozzle arrangement surface by pressing a cleaning sheet supported by a pressing portion against the nozzle arrangement surface.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-73145 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] A cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface provided with a nozzle for ejecting liquid, and comprises a cloth wiping unit, a moving unit, and a posture changing mechanism. The cloth wiping unit comprises a drawing portion and a traction portion of a cloth sheet, and a wiping area based on the cloth sheet is provided between the drawing portion and the traction portion. The moving unit is capable of moving the cloth wiping unit between a cleaning position for cleaning the nozzle arrangement surface and a retreat position for not performing the cleaning. The posture changing mechanism is capable of changing the posture of the wiping area in such a manner that the wiping area is brought into a cleaning posture in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface at the cleaning position and into a retreat posture away from the nozzle arrangement surface at the retreat position.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for cleaning a nozzle configuration surface on which a nozzle for ejecting liquid is configured, wherein a wiping area based on the cloth is set between a drawing portion and a traction portion of the cloth, and when the nozzle configuration surface is not being cleaned, the wiping area is placed on standby in a state of being away from the nozzle configuration surface, and when the nozzle configuration surface is to be cleaned, the wiping area is brought into contact with the nozzle configuration surface to clean the nozzle configuration surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the overall structure of an inkjet printer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the dryer is attached as a section along line II-II.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged perspective view of the carriage is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a frame of an inkjet printer, showing a state in which the carriage has moved to the cloth wiping area.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a state in which the cloth wiping unit cleans the nozzle arrangement surface of the carriage.

[0014] Figure 6 It is a left side view of the cloth wiping device.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a right side view of the cloth wiping device.

[0016] Figure 8 It is a front view of the cloth wiping device.

[0017] Figure 9 is a side view of the mobile unit.

[0018] Figure 10 It is a perspective view of the cloth wiping unit.

[0019] Figure 11 Is to make the squint direction and Figure 10 A perspective view of the reverse cloth wiping unit.

[0020] Figure 12 It is a left side view of the cloth wiping device, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cloth wiping unit is in the cleaning position.

[0021] Figure 13 It is a right side view of the cloth wiping device, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cloth wiping unit is in the cleaning position.

[0022] Figure 14 This is a block diagram showing a portion of the control configuration of an inkjet printer.

[0023] Figure 15 This is a plan view of the nozzle arrangement surface for explaining the cleaning procedure of cloth wiping.

[0024] Figure 16A It is a left side view of the cloth wiping device according to a modified embodiment.

[0025] Figure 16B It is a right side view of the cloth wiping device according to a modified embodiment.

[0026] Figure 17AIt is a left side view of the cloth wiping device according to a modified embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cloth wiping unit is in a cleaning position.

[0027] Figure 17B It is a right side view of the cloth wiping device according to a modified embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cloth wiping unit is in a cleaning position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, as an apparatus to which the cleaning device and cleaning method of the nozzle arrangement surface of the present disclosure are applied, an inkjet printer having an ink head that ejects ink for image formation onto a wide and long recording medium is exemplified. The inkjet printer of this embodiment is suitable for digital printing of images such as text or patterns by inkjet printing on recording media made of fabrics such as textiles and woven fabrics. Of course, the cleaning device and cleaning method of the present disclosure can also be used for printing various inkjet images on recording media such as paper sheets and resin sheets.

[0029] [Overall structure of an inkjet printer]

[0030] First, an inkjet printer 1 will be described as an example of an apparatus to which the nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device and cleaning method of the present disclosure are applied. Figure 1 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of an inkjet printer 1 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The inkjet printer 1 is a printer that prints images on a wide and long workpiece W by inkjet method, and includes a device frame 10, a workpiece conveying unit 2 and a carriage 3 assembled on the device frame 10, and a dryer 19 arranged in front of the device frame 10. It should be noted that Figure 1 In the present embodiment, the left-right direction is the main scanning direction when printing on the workpiece W, and the direction from the rear to the front is the sub-scanning direction and the conveying direction F of the workpiece W.

[0031] The device frame 10 forms the framework for mounting the various components of the inkjet printer 1. The workpiece transport unit 2 is a mechanism for intermittently conveying the workpiece W in a transport direction F from rear to front within the printing area where the inkjet printing process is performed. The carriage 3 carries the ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, post-processing head 6, and a sub-tank (not shown), and reciprocates in the left-right direction during the inkjet printing process.

[0032] The device frame 10 includes a central frame 111, a right frame 112, and a left frame 113. The central frame 111 forms the framework for mounting the various components of the inkjet printer 1 and has a left-right width corresponding to the workpiece transport unit 2. The right frame 112 and the left frame 113 are respectively disposed upright to the right and left of the central frame 111. Between the right frame 112 and the left frame 113 is the printing area 12 where the workpiece W is printed.

[0033] The right frame 112 forms a scraper wiping area 13. The scraper wiping area 13 is an area where the carriage 3 is retracted when the printing process is not being performed, and is an area where the head cleaning process and the nozzle configuration surface of the carriage 3 are cleaned with a scraper for maintenance. A scraper wiping device 18 that performs the cleaning process and scraper cleaning is arranged in the scraper wiping area 13. The cleaning process is a process of forcibly ejecting ink or processing liquid from each nozzle of the ink head 4, the pre-processing head 5, and the post-processing head 6. Scraper cleaning is a process of wiping the lower surface of the above-mentioned heads 4, 5, and 6, that is, the nozzle configuration surface, with a cleaning scraper. The scraper wiping device 18 also functions as a cover to prevent the heads 4, 5, and 6 from drying out when they are at rest.

[0034] The left frame 113 forms a cloth wiping area 14. The cloth wiping area 14 is where cloth wiping cleaning is performed, using a cloth sheet to clean the nozzle arrangement surface. A cloth wiping device 7 is located in the cloth wiping area 14 to perform this cleaning. The cloth wiping device 7 will be described in detail later. It should be noted that the cloth wiping area 14 also serves as the return area for the carriage 3. During the printing process, the carriage 3, after scanning the print area 12 from right to left, temporarily enters the cloth wiping area 14 before scanning in the reverse direction.

[0035] A single-axis robot 15 is assembled on the upper side of the device frame 10 for reciprocating the carriage 3 in the left-right direction, that is, the main scanning direction in the printing process. The single-axis robot 15 is arranged above the workpiece transport unit 2 so as to extend in the left-right direction. The single-axis robot 15 includes a linear motor 16 and a pair of upper and lower guide rails 17. The linear motor 16 includes a stator 161 arranged in the direction in which the single-axis robot 15 extends and a mover 162 that moves along the guide rails 17. The pair of guide rails 17 extend parallel to the left-right direction and engage with a moving block 163 equipped with the mover 162. The carriage 3 is mounted on the moving block 163 and is moved in the left or right direction by the single-axis robot 15.

[0036] Main reference Figure 2The workpiece transport unit 2 includes a feed roller 21 that feeds the pre-printed workpiece W in the transport direction F; a take-up roller 22 that takes up the printed workpiece W; and a transport unit 20, which is located in the printing area 12. The feed roller 21 is the take-up shaft of the feed roller WA, which is a roll of the pre-printed workpiece W. The take-up roller 22 is the take-up shaft of the take-up roller WB, which is a roll of the printed workpiece W. The feed roller 21 is located upstream of the printing area 12, and the take-up roller 22 is located downstream of the dryer 19.

[0037] The path between the delivery roller 21 and the take-up roller 22 and passing through the printing area 12 constitutes a conveyance path for the workpiece W. Disposed along this conveyance path are, in order from the upstream side, a tension roller 23, a workpiece guide 24, a conveyance roller 25, a pinch roller 26, a conveyance unit 20, a peeling roller 27, a carry-in roller 28, a dryer 19, and a return roller 29.

[0038] The tension roller 23 applies a predetermined tension to the workpiece W upstream of the conveying roller 25. The workpiece guide 24 changes the conveying direction F of the workpiece W from upward to forward, allowing the workpiece W to be transported into the printing area 12. The conveying roller 25 generates a conveying force that intermittently transports the workpiece W within the printing area 12. The pinch roller 26 forms a conveying nip with the conveying roller 25. The conveying roller 25 and the pinch roller 26 pair together to extract the workpiece W from the delivery roller WA and intermittently transport the workpiece W in the conveying direction F, passing through the printing area 12.

[0039] The conveying unit 20 is configured to stably convey the workpiece W within the printing area 12 without causing it to float or shake. The conveying unit 20 includes a driving roller 201 and a driven roller 202 spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and a conveying belt 203 stretched over these rollers 201 and 202. The workpiece W is conveyed in a conveying direction F while in close contact with the surface of the conveying belt 203. A platen 204 is disposed between the rollers 201 and 202 and on the back side of the conveying belt 203. In the printing area 12, ink and processing liquid are ejected onto the workpiece W from the ink head 4, the pre-processing head 5, and the post-processing head 6.

[0040] The peeling roller 27 is arranged diagonally above and in front of the drive roller 201, and serves to peel the printed workpiece W from the surface of the conveyor belt 203. The workpiece W is peeled from the conveyor belt 203 at the peeling portion Bk, which forms a predetermined peeling angle, and is conveyed to the downstream feed roller 28. The workpiece W is loosened between the peeling roller 27 and the feed roller 28. The printed workpiece W is conveyed from the feed roller 28 to the dryer 19. The dryer 19 dries the wet workpiece W by blowing warm air or the like. The return roller 29 changes the conveying direction F of the dried workpiece W from the forward direction to the downward direction, guiding the workpiece W toward the take-up roller 22.

[0041] The carriage 3, while supported by a cantilever on the moving block 163, reciprocates in the main scanning direction (left-right direction) intersecting the conveying direction F. The carriage 3 includes a carriage frame 30 that carries the ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, post-processing head 6, and a sub-tank (not shown). The carriage frame 30 includes a head support frame 31 and a backrest frame 32. The head support frame 31 is a horizontal plate that holds the heads 4 to 6. The backrest frame 32 is a vertical plate that extends upward from the rear end edge of the head support frame 31. The backrest frame 32 is fixed to the moving block 163.

[0042] [Slide Details]

[0043] The carriage 3 will be further described. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An enlarged perspective view of the carriage 3 is shown. Figure 3 In FIG, the conveying direction F (sub-scanning direction) of the workpiece W and the main scanning direction S which is the moving direction of the carriage 3 are shown. Figure 3 In the figure, an example is shown in which a plurality of ink heads 4 for ejecting ink for image formation onto a workpiece W, and a pre-processing head 5 and a post-processing head 6 for ejecting a non-coloring processing liquid are mounted on a carriage 3. In practice, the carriage 3 is also equipped with a plurality of sub-tanks for supplying the ink and the processing liquid to these heads 4, 5, and 6. Figure 3 More specifically, Figure 1 The ink head 4 is briefly described in FIG.

[0044] Each ink head 4 includes multiple nozzles that eject ink droplets using a piezoelectric method using a piezoelectric element or a thermal method using a heating element, and ink channels that guide the ink to the nozzles. The same applies to the pre-processing head 5 and post-processing head 6. For example, aqueous pigment ink containing an aqueous solvent, a pigment, and a binder resin can be used. The multiple ink heads 4 in this embodiment include first to eighth ink heads 4A to 4H, each ejecting eight different colors of ink.

[0045] The ink heads 4A to 4H of each color are mounted on the head support frame 31 of the carriage 3 in a manner arranged in the main scanning direction S. Each ink head 4A to 4H of each color has two heads. For example, the first ink head 4A is composed of an upstream head 4A1 and a downstream head 4A2. The upstream head 4A1 is arranged on the upstream side of the conveying direction F, and the downstream head 4A2 is arranged on the downstream side of the upstream head 4A1 and offset to the left side of the main scanning direction S. The same applies to the ink heads 4B to 4H of other colors. Each upstream head of these ink heads 4B to 4H is arranged in a row along the main scanning direction S at the same position as the upstream head 4A1 in the conveying direction F. In addition, each downstream head is arranged in a row along the main scanning direction S at the same position as the downstream head 4A2 in the conveying direction F.

[0046] The pre-processing head 5 and the post-processing head 6 are arranged at positions different from the ink head 4 in the conveying direction F. The pre-processing head 5 is arranged on the upstream side of the ink head 4 in the conveying direction F. Figure 3 In FIG, an example is shown in which the pre-processing head 5 is arranged near the left end of the array of ink heads 4. The pre-processing head 5 is arranged to the left of the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A and in the same position as the downstream head 4A2 in the main scanning direction S. In contrast, the post-processing head 6 is arranged on the downstream side of the ink head 4 in the conveying direction F. Figure 3 , an example is shown in which the post-processing head 6 is arranged near the right end of the array of ink heads 4. The post-processing head 6 is arranged to the right of the downstream head 4H2 of the eighth ink head 4H and in the same position in front of and behind the upstream head 4H1 in the main scanning direction S.

[0047] The pretreatment head 5 ejects a pretreatment liquid for performing a predetermined pretreatment on the workpiece W. The pretreatment liquid is ejected from the pretreatment head 5 toward a portion of the workpiece W where ink has not yet been ejected from the ink head 4. The pretreatment liquid is a non-coloring liquid that does not develop color even when attached to the workpiece W. For example, the pretreatment liquid exhibits functions such as improving the fixability of the ink to the workpiece W and the aggregation of the ink pigment. Examples of such pretreatment liquids include those containing a binder resin in a solvent or those containing a positively charged cationic resin in a solvent.

[0048] The post-processing head 6 ejects a post-processing liquid for performing a predetermined post-processing on the workpiece W to which the ink has adhered. The post-processing liquid is ejected from the post-processing head 6 onto the workpiece W at a location after the ink has been ejected from the ink head 4. The post-processing liquid is also a non-coloring liquid that does not develop color even when adhered to the workpiece W. It also improves the fixability and durability of the ink image printed on the workpiece W by the ink head 4, including resistance to friction and scratches. Silicone-based liquids, for example, can be used as such a post-processing liquid.

[0049] Openings 31H are provided in the head mounting area of the head support frame 31. The ink heads 4A to 4F, the pre-processing head 5, and the post-processing head 6 are assembled to the head support frame 31 so as to fit into the respective openings 31H. Nozzles arranged on the lower end surfaces of the heads 4, 5, and 6 are exposed through the respective openings 31H.

[0050] As described above, the inkjet printer 1 of this embodiment is an all-in-one printer in which three heads—the ink head 4, the pre-processing head 5, and the post-processing head 6—are mounted on a single carriage 3. This printer 1 can, for example, perform both the pre-processing liquid and post-processing liquid ejection steps in a digital printing process, such as the printing process of inkjet printing on fabric. This simplifies the printing process and makes the printing apparatus more compact.

[0051] [Head maintenance]

[0052] As described above, the inkjet printer 1 includes the blade wiping device 18 that cleans the nozzle arrangement surface using a cleaning blade for maintenance of the heads 4 , 5 , and 6 , and the cloth wiping device 7 that cleans the nozzle arrangement surface using a cloth sheet. Figure 4 It is a perspective view including a portion of the apparatus frame 10 and the single-axis robot 15 , and shows a state in which the carriage 3 has moved to the cloth wiping area 14 . Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing a state where the cloth wiping device 7 cleans the nozzle arrangement surface 3A of the carriage 3 .

[0053] The device frame 10 includes a right side plate 114 and a left side plate 115 located on the left and right sides of the central frame 111. The right side of the right side plate 114 is the scraper wiping area 13, and the left side of the left side plate 115 is the cloth wiping area 14. A scraper wiping bracket 116 is mounted on the right side plate 114. The scraper wiping bracket 116 is used to hold the scraper wiping device 18 ( Figure 1 ) frame. A cloth wiping device 7 is installed on the left side plate 115.

[0054] Reference Figure 5 As described above, the head support frame 31 of the carriage frame 30 has an opening 31H corresponding to the size of the head. The ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, and post-processing head 6 are inserted into this opening 31H. The nozzle surfaces 40 of the heads 4, 5, and 6 are exposed on the back surface of the head support frame 31, that is, the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. The nozzle surface 40 is a surface where the nozzle holes are arranged in a predetermined pattern.

[0055] Squeegee cleaning of the nozzle arrangement surface 3A using the squeegee wiping device 18 is performed regularly based on printing time, printing area, and operating days. During squeegee cleaning, the carriage 3 is moved to the squeegee wiping area 13 by the operation of the single-axis robot 15. Before squeegee cleaning, a cleaning operation is performed, forcibly ejecting ink or processing liquid from the ink head 4, pre-processing head 5, and post-processing head 6. After cleaning, the cleaning blade of the squeegee wiping device 18 performs both non-contact wiping of droplets deposited on the nozzle surface 40 and contact wiping, where the cleaning blade abuts against the nozzle surface 40.

[0056] The cloth wiping cleaning using the cloth wiping device 7 is performed only on the ink head 4 after the above-mentioned scraper cleaning. This is because the ink head 4 ejects a liquid (ink) containing pigment, so there are cases where the nozzle surface 40 cannot be fully cleaned by scraper cleaning alone. The pre-processing head 5 and the post-processing head 6 are heads that eject liquid that does not contain pigment, and therefore, they are generally not required before the cloth wiping cleaning. It should be noted that there are cases where only cloth wiping cleaning is performed without the above-mentioned cleaning. During cloth wiping cleaning, such as Figure 4As shown, the carriage 3 moves toward the cloth wiping area 14 .

[0057] The cloth wiping device 7 includes a cloth wiping unit 70 including a cloth sheet roll FSR, which is a bundle of cloth wiping sheets, and a moving unit 80 that moves the cloth wiping unit 70 in the front-rear direction. During cloth wiping cleaning, a wiping area 7W formed by the cloth sheets FS drawn from the cloth sheet roll FSR is pressed against the nozzle surface 40 exposed on the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. Figure 5 This pressing state is shown. From this state, by moving the moving unit 80 backward in the cloth wiping unit 70 , the nozzle surface 40 is wiped and cleaned by the cloth piece FS in the wiping area 7W.

[0058] [Details of the cloth wiping device]

[0059] Hereinafter, the structure and operation of the cloth wiping device 7 will be described in detail. Figure 6 It is a left side view of the cloth wiping device 7, Figure 7 This is the right side view. Figure 8 The cloth wiping device 7 includes a cloth wiping unit 70 , a moving unit 80 , and a posture changing mechanism 90 .

[0060] The cloth wiping unit 70 has the wiping area 7W formed by the cloth sheet FS as described above and is a unit that actually performs cloth wiping cleaning. The moving unit 80 is a unit that can move the cloth wiping unit 70 between a cleaning position for cleaning the nozzle arrangement surface 3A and a retreat position for not performing such cleaning. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The cloth wiping unit 70 is shown in the state of being moved to the retracted position. Figure 12 and Figure 13 The cloth wiping unit 70 is shown in the cleaning position. The posture changing mechanism 90 is a mechanism that can change the posture of the wiping area 7W. In the cleaning position, the posture changing mechanism 90 positions the wiping area 7W in a cleaning position in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. In the retracted position, the wiping area 7W positions the wiping area 7W in a retracted position downwardly away from the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. In the retracted position, the wiping area 7W is separated from the nozzle arrangement surface 3A.

[0061] <Mobile unit>

[0062] Apart from Figures 6 to 8 In addition, reference is also made to the side view showing the moving unit 80. Figure 9 The structure of the moving unit 80 will be described. The moving unit 80 includes a moving portion 81 , a linear guide 82 (translation guide), a ball screw 83 , a nut 84 , a cloth wiping moving motor 85 , and a posture changing guide 86 .

[0063] The moving portion 81 is a flat plate having a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the side, and is movable in the front-to-back direction along a linear guide 82. The cloth wiping unit 70 is mounted on the moving portion 81. A rotation pin 811, projecting leftward, is attached to the moving portion 81, near the rear end and upper corner. The rotation pin 811 is an engaging pin for mounting the cloth wiping unit 70 and also serves as the rotation axis for the cloth wiping unit 70. Specifically, the cloth wiping unit 70 is mounted on the moving portion 81 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the rotation pin 811.

[0064] The linear guide 82 includes a guide base 820, a guide rail 821, and a block 822. The guide base 820 is a flat plate that is long from front to back and serves as a mounting base for the guide rail 821, the ball screw 83, the cloth wiping movement motor 85, and the posture change guide 86. The guide base 820 is fixed to the left side plate 115 ( Figure 4 ). It should be noted that Figure 7 and Figure 9 The guide base 820 is omitted. The guide rail 821 has a square cross-section and extends linearly in the front-to-back direction. The block 822 is embedded in the guide rail 821 and can move along the guide rail 821 in the front-to-back direction. The moving portion 81 is fixed to the block 822. It should be noted that, in place of the linear guide 82, a linear shaft formed by inserting a cylindrical moving block through a circular cross-section shaft can also be used as a direct-acting guide.

[0065] The ball screw 83 is pivotally supported on the guide base 820, extending parallel to the guide rail 821 in the front-to-back direction. A nut 84 is threadedly engaged with the ball screw 83 and mounted on the moving portion 81. The cloth wiping movement motor 85 is configured with its motor shaft connected to the rear end of the ball screw 83, driving the ball screw 83 in forward and reverse rotation about its axis. When the cloth wiping movement motor 85 rotates the ball screw 83, the nut 84 moves in the front-to-back direction, and the moving portion 81 moves in the front-to-back direction while being guided by the guide rail 821.

[0066] The posture change guide 86 is a member against which the contact portion of the cloth wiping unit 70 abuts when the moving portion 81 moves. Depending on the position of the contact portion against the posture change guide 86, the rotational position of the rotation pin 811 of the cloth wiping unit 70 about its axis is changed. This will be described later. The posture change guide 86 includes a first region 861, a second region 862, and an inclined portion 863. The first region 861 extends horizontally at a predetermined height (first height) along the longitudinal direction, which is the direction in which the linear guide 82 extends. The second region 862 extends horizontally in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined height (second height) higher than the first region 861 and rearwardly spaced from the first region 861. The inclined portion 863 connects the first region 861 and the second region 862, which have a height difference.

[0067] <Cloth wiping unit>

[0068] Then, except Figures 6 to 8 In addition, refer to the perspective view of the cloth wiping unit 70. Figure 10 and Figure 10 Next, the structure of the cloth wiping unit 70 will be described. The cloth wiping unit 70 includes a base portion 71 , a drawing portion 72 , a traction portion 73 , a pressing roller 74 , a conveying roller 75 , and a conveying belt 76 .

[0069] The base portion 71 is a flat plate with a generally square shape when viewed from the side, larger than the movable portion 81. It serves as a mounting base for the various components of the cloth wiping unit 70. A bearing bushing 711 (a pivot point) is protruding from the right surface of the base portion 71, near a corner at the rear end and upper end. The bearing bushing 711 has a rotation axis hole 71A through which the pivot pin 811 of the movable portion 81 is inserted. The base portion 71 is rotatable relative to the movable portion 81, with the bearing bushing 711, which is axially supported by the pivot pin 811, serving as a pivot point.

[0070] A roller 712 (abutment portion) is protruding from the left surface of the base portion 71, near the front and lower corner, and is rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The corner where the roller 712 is located is diagonally opposite to the corner where the bearing bushing 711 is located. The roller 712 abuts against the posture change guide 86 and rolls when the moving portion 81 moves. Figure 7 As shown, when the roller 712 is in contact with the first region 861 of the posture change guide 86, the base portion 71 takes a horizontal posture. Figure 13 As will be described later, in a state where the roller 712 is in contact with the second region 862 located higher than the first region 861 , the base portion 71 rotates about the axis of the rotation pin 811 , and is brought into a state where the front side is raised.

[0071] A drawer 72 and a pulling unit 73 are assembled on the base 71. The drawer 72 draws out the cloth sheet FS for cloth wiping and cleaning. The drawer 72 includes a take-up roller 721 that holds the cloth sheet roll FSR, which is a wound body of unused cloth sheets FS. A torque limiter 72L is attached to the rotating shaft of the take-up roller 721. A roller support 722 is provided between the base 71 and the shaft end of the take-up roller 721.

[0072] The traction unit 73 pulls in the cloth sheet FS after use in cloth wiping cleaning. The traction unit 73 includes a take-up roller 731 around which the used cloth sheet FS is wound. A torque limiter 73L is also attached to the rotating shaft of the take-up roller 731. A roller support 732 is provided between the base 71 and the shaft end of the take-up roller 731.

[0073] A wiping area 7W using the cloth sheet FS is provided between the drawer 72 and the traction unit 73. The wiping area 7W is where the portion of the long cloth sheet FS, which is contained in the cloth sheet roll FSR, is pressed against the nozzle arrangement surface 3A of the carriage 3 and actually performs cloth wiping and cleaning of the nozzle surface 40. In the wiping area 7W, unused cloth sheets FS are sequentially drawn from the cloth sheet roll FSR in the drawer 72. Cloth sheets FS used for cloth wiping and cleaning in the wiping area 7W are sequentially pulled by the traction unit 73.

[0074] The pressing roller 74 is a resilient roller and supports the cloth sheet FS in the wiping area 7W. The pressing roller 74 presses the cloth sheet FS in the wiping area 7W against the nozzle placement surface 3A. The pressing roller 74 is pivotally supported near the upper edge of the base 71, with a portion of the pressing roller 74 protruding upward from the upper edge of the base 71. By supporting the cloth sheet FS downward with the pressing roller 74, the cloth sheet FS in the wiping area 7W also protrudes upward from the upper edge of the base 71.

[0075] A one-way clutch 741 is attached to the rotating shaft of the pressing roller 74. The pressing roller 74 is a driven roller without a drive source. The one-way clutch 741 is configured to cause the pressing roller 74 to rotate only in the direction in which the fabric piece FS is withdrawn. The configuration of the one-way clutch 741 prevents the fabric piece FS, which has been withdrawn from the fabric piece roll FSR, from returning to the withdrawal portion 72.

[0076] Pulleys 742 are mounted on both ends of the rotating shaft of the pressing roller 74. The pressing roller 74 is an elastically deformable roller, whereas the pulleys 742 are formed from a hard material that is substantially inelastically indestructible. When the coaxial pressing roller 74 and a pair of pulleys 742 are pressed against the nozzle arrangement surface 3A, the pulleys 742 determine the positional relationship between the rotating shaft and the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. This maintains a constant distance between the circumferential surface of the pressing roller 74 and the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. Consequently, the amount of pressure applied by the pressing roller 74 to the nozzle arrangement surface 3A of the fabric sheet FS can be made constant and uniform in the axial direction.

[0077] In the direction of drawing out the cloth sheet FS, a first guide roller 743 is provided upstream of the pressing roller 74, and a second guide roller 744 is provided downstream. A conveying roller 75 is provided downstream of the second guide roller 744, and a tension roller 745 is provided further downstream.

[0078] The first and second guide rollers 743 and 744 are also axially supported near the upper edge of the base portion 71. The height difference between the circumference of these rollers 743 and 744 and the circumference of the pressing roller 74 is relatively small. The arrangement of the first and second guide rollers 743 and 744 reduces the take-up angle of the cloth sheet FS toward the pressing roller 74, thereby facilitating an increase in the contact area between the cloth sheet FS and the nozzle arrangement surface 3A in the wiping area 7W. The conveying direction of the cloth sheet FS is temporarily reversed by the conveying roller 75 and then folded back again by the tensioning roller 745. The tensioning roller 745 applies tension to the cloth sheet FS as it is conveyed toward the traction portion 73. In the retracted position, the first guide roller 743 is positioned below the second guide roller 744. In the cleaning position, the first guide roller 743 is positioned above the second guide roller 744.

[0079] The conveying roller 75 delivers the cloth piece FS from the drawer 72 through the wiping area 7W toward the traction section 73. Specifically, as the conveying roller 75 rotates about its axis, the cloth piece FS wound around it is delivered downstream. The conveying roller 75 is not equipped with a drive source such as a motor; instead, it is rotatably supported on the base 71. However, a one-way clutch 751 is attached to the rotating shaft of the conveying roller 75. The one-way clutch 751 allows the conveying roller 75 to rotate only in the direction that delivers the cloth piece FS toward the traction section 73.

[0080] like Figure 11 As shown, the conveying roller 75 has a rotational axis protruding from the left side of the base portion 71. A roller gear 75G (first gear) is mounted on the rotational axis of this protruding portion. When the roller gear 75G rotates, the conveying roller 75 also rotates. A rack 713 (second gear) meshes with the roller gear 75G. The rack 713 is fixedly mounted to the moving portion 81 of the moving unit 80 and includes a sector gear portion 714 that meshes with the roller gear 75G.

[0081] The roller gear 75G and the rack 713 form a linkage mechanism that links the cloth wiping unit 70's posture change around the rotation pin 811 with the axial rotation of the transport roller 75. Specifically, when the base 71 rotates relative to the moving portion 81 with the bearing bushing 711 serving as a pivot point, the roller gear 75G, meshing with the fixed sector gear 714, rotates. As the roller gear 75G rotates, the transport roller 75 rotates, feeding the cloth sheet FS downstream by the amount of rotation. This conveying action extracts the sheet FS from the extraction unit 72, and a new cloth sheet FS is introduced to the wiping area 7W.

[0082] In addition, the used sheet FS is pulled by the pulling portion 73 by the rotation of the conveying roller 75. Figure 10As shown, a transmission belt 76 is provided between the conveying roller 75 and the take-up roller 731. The transmission belt 76 causes the rotary shaft of the conveying roller 75 to rotate in conjunction with the rotary shaft of the take-up roller 731. When the conveying roller 75 rotates a certain amount in response to a change in the posture of the cloth wiping unit 70, this rotation is transmitted to the take-up roller 731 via the transmission belt 76. In other words, the take-up roller 731 takes up the fabric sheet FS by the amount of rotation of the conveying roller 75. However, a torque limiter 73L is attached to the rotary shaft of the take-up roller 731. Therefore, even if the take-up roller diameter of the fabric sheet FS by the take-up roller 731 increases, thereby increasing the amount of fabric sheet FS taken up per unit rotation, the fabric sheet FS is not excessively pulled.

[0083] The spray unit 77 is arranged between the first guide roller 743 and the pressing roller 74. The spray unit 77 has a spray gun 771 that sprays a cleaning liquid composed of pure water or a liquid containing a cleaning component. The spray unit 77 is attached to the left side plate 115 ( Figure 4 The spray gun 771 sprays cleaning liquid onto the cloth sheet FS of the wiping area 7W upstream of the pressing roller 74. Wetting the cloth sheet FS with cleaning liquid immediately before cloth wiping cleaning can improve the cleaning effect of the nozzle surface 40.

[0084] [Operation of the cloth wiping device]

[0085] exist Figure 6 and Figure 12 The comparison and Figure 7 and Figure 13 The operation of the cloth wiping device 7 constructed as described above is described in comparison with FIG. The moving unit 80 makes the cloth wiping unit 70 mounted on the moving portion 81 in the retreat position ( Figure 6 、 Figure 7 ) and cleaning position ( Figure 12 、 Figure 13 ). The retracted position is a position where the cloth wiping unit 70 does not clean the nozzle arrangement surface 3A, and the cleaning position is a position where the cloth wiping unit 70 can clean the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. In this embodiment, the retracted position is a section where the roller 712 of the cloth wiping unit 70 abuts the first section 861 of the posture change guide 86, and the cleaning position is a section where the roller 712 abuts the second section 862.

[0086] The posture changing mechanism 90 is to change the cloth wiping unit 70 to the retreat posture ( Figure 6 、 Figure 7 ) and cleaning posture ( Figure 12 、 Figure 13) between the two positions. The retreat posture is a posture in which the wiping area 7W is away from the nozzle arrangement surface 3A, and the cleaning posture is a posture in which the wiping area 7W is in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. In the present embodiment, the retreat position and the cleaning position mentioned above are consistent with the retreat posture and the cleaning posture. That is, when moving to the retreat position, the cloth wiping unit 70 naturally takes the retreat posture, and when moving to the cleaning position, the cloth wiping unit 70 rotates relative to the moving part 81 and naturally takes the cleaning posture. In the present embodiment, the posture changing mechanism 90 is composed of a posture changing guide 86, a bearing bushing 711 as a structure for rotating the base part 71, a roller 712, and a rotating pin 811.

[0087] Further explanation. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when the cloth wiping unit 70 is in the retracted position and the retracted posture, the roller 712 of the base 71 abuts the first region 861 of the posture change guide 86. At this point, the upper and lower sides of the rectangular base 71 and movable portion 81 are parallel to each other. This is the default state, in which the base 71 is not rotated relative to the movable portion 81. The wiping area 7W is positioned downwardly away from the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. In other words, the placement of the roller 712 and the height of the first region 861 are set to achieve this default state.

[0088] When from Figure 6 and Figure 7 The cloth wiping movement motor 85 is driven in this state, and when the moving portion 81 moves rearward, the cloth wiping unit 70 also moves rearward. The roller 712, which abuts the first region 861 of the posture change guide 86, abuts the inclined portion 863. As the roller 712 rises on the inclined portion 863, the base portion 71 rotates with the bearing bushing 711, through which the rotation pin 811 is inserted, as a rotation fulcrum, so that the front end portion is lifted.

[0089] Figure 12 and Figure 13 This shows the roller 712 having completed its upward movement on the inclined portion 863 and reached the second area 862. In other words, the cloth wiping unit 70 is in the cleaning position and posture. The roller 712 is lifted by the height difference between the first area 861 and the second area 862, and the base 71 rotates about the axis of the rotating pin 811 by an angle corresponding to this lift. This rotation also lifts the wiping area 7W, and the portion of the cloth sheet FS supported from below by the pressing roller 74 comes into contact with the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. This allows the cloth sheet FS in the wiping area 7W to clean the nozzle arrangement surface 3A.

[0090] At this time, the pulleys 742 attached to both ends of the rotating shaft of the pressing roller 74 also contact the nozzle arrangement surface 3A. Therefore, the amount of pressure applied by the pressing roller 74 to the cloth sheet FS is limited to a certain amount. As a result, the nozzle arrangement surface 3A can be wiped evenly and stably using the cloth sheet FS in the wiping area 7W.

[0091] Furthermore, as the base portion 71 rotates, the roller gear 75G mounted on the shaft end of the transport roller 75 rotates by a predetermined angle by meshing with the sector gear portion 714 of the rack 713. Consequently, the transport roller 75 also rotates by a predetermined angle, and the cloth piece FS is conveyed by a length corresponding to the predetermined angle. Specifically, the cloth piece FS is drawn from the cloth piece roll FSR of the withdrawal portion 72, and a new cloth piece FS is introduced into the wiping area 7W. At this time, since the unwinding roller 721 around which the cloth piece roll FSR is wound is equipped with a torque limiter 72L, loosening of the cloth piece FS between the withdrawal portion 72 and the pressing roller 74 is suppressed. It should be noted that when the new cloth piece FS is introduced into the wiping area 7W, the spray unit 77 is driven, and cleaning fluid is sprayed from the spray gun 771 onto the cloth piece FS.

[0092] When the conveying roller 75 rotates, the rotational force is transmitted by the endless transmission belt 76, causing the take-up roller 731 to rotate. As a result, the used fabric sheet FS is wound onto the take-up roller 731 at a constant length. The take-up roller 731 is equipped with a torque limiter 73L. Therefore, even if the take-up roller diameter of the fabric sheet FS on the take-up roller 731 increases, excessive tension is not applied to the fabric sheet FS between the conveying roller 75 and the take-up roller 731.

[0093] Thus, in this embodiment, the conveying roller 75 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the base 71, eliminating the need for a motor or similar device to drive the conveying roller 75. Furthermore, the unwinding of the fabric sheet FS from the unwinding roller 721 and its winding onto the take-up roller 731 are also performed in conjunction with the rotation of the base 71, eliminating the need for a separate drive mechanism. Furthermore, since torque limiters 72L and 73L are incorporated into both the unwinding roller 721 and the take-up roller 731, proper unwinding and winding of the fabric sheet FS can be achieved even without controlling the rotation of these rollers 721 and 731.

[0094] from Figure 12 and Figure 13 From the state of being in ... Figure 3As shown, the ink heads 4 of each color are arranged in two rows, front and back. Furthermore, the width of the cloth sheet FS is sufficient to cover the two ink heads 4 arranged in the main scanning direction S. Therefore, it is preferable to move the wiping area 7W at least by the stroke of two rows. Therefore, the front-to-back length of the second region 862 of the posture change guide 86 is set to be longer than the stroke.

[0095] When the wiping area 7W moves to the rear end, completing cloth wiping cleaning, the carriage 3 rises slightly, moving the wiping area 7W away from the nozzle placement surface 3A. The cloth wiping movement motor 85 then drives the moving portion 81 back forward. Soon, the contact position of the roller 712 shifts from the second region 862 to the inclined portion 863, and then from the inclined portion 863 to the first region 861. This causes the base portion 71 to rotate about the axis of the rotation pin 811, returning to its horizontal position, or retracted position and posture.

[0096] At this point, the sector gear portion 714 of the rack 713 meshes with the roller gear 75G. However, because the transport roller 75 is equipped with a one-way clutch 751, the roller gear 75G merely idles, and the transport roller 75 does not rotate. Consequently, the cloth sheet FS is not conveyed back toward the drawer 72. After this, the carriage 3 moves in the main scanning direction S by two heads, and the above-described steps are repeated for the next ink head 4.

[0097] [Control Structure]

[0098] Figure 14 This is a block diagram showing a portion of the control structure of the printer 1. The printer 1 includes a controller 33, a carriage drive motor 34 whose operation is controlled by the controller 33, a carriage lift motor 35, a head drive unit 36, a workpiece transport motor 37, a workpiece take-up motor 38, a scraper wiping drive unit 87, and the aforementioned cloth wiping movement motor 85.

[0099] The carriage drive motor 34 generates a driving force to move the carriage 3 in the left-right direction from the blade wiping area 13 through the printing area 12 to the cloth wiping area 14. Figure 4 The linear motor 16 shown in FIG. The carriage lift motor 35 generates a driving force to move the carriage 3 in the vertical direction in the scraper wiping area 13 and the cloth wiping area 14. The head drive unit 36 ejects ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid from each of the heads 4, 5, and 6. The workpiece transport motor 37 is a motor that serves as a drive source for transporting the workpiece W in the transport direction F in the printer 1 and corresponds to the aforementioned transport roller 25, the drive roller 201 of the transport unit 20, and the like. The workpiece take-up motor 38 is a motor that serves as a drive source for rotating the take-up roller 22 that takes up the printed workpiece W.

[0100] The scraper wiping drive unit 87, under the control of the controller 33, operates the scraper wiping device 18 to perform maintenance including cleaning of the heads 4, 5, and 6 and scraper cleaning. Specifically, as part of the cleaning process, the scraper wiping drive unit 87 ejects high-pressure ink, pre-treatment liquid, and post-treatment liquid from the heads 4, 5, and 6, respectively, to clean the nozzles. Furthermore, as part of the scraper cleaning process, the scraper of the scraper wiping unit included in the scraper wiping device 18 moves close to the nozzle surface 40 of the heads 4, 5, and 6 during the aforementioned non-contact wiping process, and moves against the nozzle surface 40 of the heads 4, 5, and 6 during the contact wiping process.

[0101] The cloth wiping movement motor 85, under the control of the controller 33 serving as a cleaning control unit, moves the moving unit 81 on which the cloth wiping unit 70 is mounted, thereby performing cloth wiping cleaning of the ink head 4. The controller 33 sets the cleaning order of the nozzle arrangement surface 3A by the cloth wiping unit 70 and controls the cloth wiping movement motor 85, the carriage drive motor 34, and the like based on this cleaning order.

[0102] Figure 15 This is a top view of the nozzle arrangement surface for explaining a specific example of the cleaning sequence of cloth wiping, and is viewed from the back side. Figure 3 Figure 3 shows the carriage 3. Here, it is assumed that the cloth sheet FS has a width in the main scanning direction S sufficient to cover two rows of ink heads 4. Cloth wiping cleaning targets only the ink heads 4. Furthermore, if the cloth sheet FS, after wiping the ink heads 4, comes into contact with the pre-treatment liquid or post-treatment liquid, undesirable effects such as ink aggregation may occur. Therefore, the cleaning sequence must be set so that the cloth sheet FS does not come into contact with the pre-treatment head 5 or post-treatment head 6.

[0103] As described above, each color ink head 4A-4H includes an upstream head and a downstream head arranged along the main scanning direction S. For example, the eighth ink head 4H includes an upstream head 4H1 and a downstream head 4H2, as shown by the dashed line surrounding pair P1. In this case, when cloth wiping is performed on each pair P1, the downstream head 4H2 partially overlaps with the post-processing head 6 in the main scanning direction S, causing the cloth sheet FS to approach the post-processing head 6. This results in contact between the post-processing liquid and the ink.

[0104] Therefore, the upstream head 4H1, located at the same position as the post-processing head 6 in the main scanning direction S, is individually wiped and cleaned. Specifically, the controller 33 controls the carriage drive motor 34 to move the carriage 3 so that the cloth sheet FS in the wiping area 7W faces the nozzle surface 40 of the upstream head 4H1. Furthermore, the controller 33 controls the cloth wiping movement motor 85 to move the cloth wiping unit 70 in the front-to-back direction by a distance equivalent to the width of the upstream head 4H1 in the conveying direction F. Similarly, the downstream head 4A2 of the first ink head 4A, located at the same position as the pre-processing head 5 in the main scanning direction S, is individually wiped and cleaned. This prevents contact between the pre-processing liquid and the ink.

[0105] The remaining ink heads 4 are cleaned by cloth wiping in pairs of two. For example, as indicated by the dotted line surrounding pair P2, cloth wiping is performed on the upstream head 4A1 of the first ink head 4A and the downstream head 4B2 of the second ink head 4B. The controller 33 moves the carriage 3 so that the cloth sheet FS of the wiping area 7W faces the area of pair P2. Furthermore, the controller 33 moves the cloth wiping unit 70 in the front-to-back direction so that the cloth sheet FS moves at least between heads 4B2 and 4A1. This same action continues for the cleaning pair of the upstream head 4G1 of the seventh ink head 4G and the downstream head 4H2 of the eighth ink head 4B.

[0106] In this way, pairs of ink heads 4 ejecting inks of different colors can be used as cleaning units for cloth wiping. Alternatively, a sequence can be set up in which only ink heads 4 of a specific color are targeted for cloth wiping. For example, assume that only the second and seventh ink heads 4B and 4G are targeted for cloth wiping. In this case, the first cloth wiping cleaning is performed on the upstream head 4B1 and downstream head 4B2 of the second ink head 4B, located near the left side plate 115 where the cloth wiping device 7 is installed. Next, the second cloth wiping cleaning is performed on the upstream head 4G1 and downstream head 4G2 of the seventh ink head 4G.

[0107] [Varied Embodiments of the Cloth Wiping Device]

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, a cloth wiping device 7 is exemplified in which the position-changing guide 86 having a height difference in the front-back direction is used to rotate the base portion 71, thereby changing the position of the wiping area 7W. In a modified embodiment, a cloth wiping device is exemplified in which a horizontal guide having no height difference in the front-back direction is used as a guide corresponding to the position-changing guide 86. By raising and lowering the horizontal guide, the base portion 71 is rotated, thereby changing the position of the wiping area 7W.

[0109] Figure 16A and Figure 16BThese are left and right side views of a cloth wiping device 7A according to a modified embodiment, showing the cloth wiping unit 70 in the retracted position. The cloth wiping device 7A differs from the previously described cloth wiping device 7 in the structure of a posture changing mechanism 90A that changes the position of the wiping area 7W between the cleaning position and the retracted position. The remaining structure of the cloth wiping device 7A is identical to that of the previously described cloth wiping device 7, and therefore, its description will be omitted.

[0110] The posture changing mechanism 90A is composed of the horizontal guide 86A, the lifting device 91, the bearing bushing 711, the roller 712, and the rotation pin 811 as the rotation structure of the base portion 71. The rotation structure of the base portion 71 is the same as that of the previous embodiment.

[0111] The horizontal guide 86A extends horizontally in the front-to-back direction along the linear guide 82. The horizontal guide 86A is a linear guide with no height difference in the front-to-back direction. When the moving portion 81 moves, it abuts against the roller 712 of the base portion 71. The horizontal guide 86A is not fixedly supported and can be raised and lowered while abutting against the roller 712.

[0112] The lifting device 91 includes a piston rod 92 that is driven to move in the up and down directions. The lifting device 91 is fixedly mounted at an appropriate position on the left side plate 115 of the device frame 10. As the lifting device 91, various working cylinder devices such as air cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, and electric cylinders can be used. The upper end of the piston rod 92 is mounted on the lower surface of the horizontal guide 86A. The piston rod 92 is raised and lowered by air pressure, hydraulic pressure, or electric power, whereby the horizontal guide 86A is raised and lowered while maintaining a horizontal posture. It should be noted that a lifting mechanism using an electric actuator, a motor, a gear, etc. can also be applied instead of the working cylinder device.

[0113] Figure 16A and Figure 16B The state is a state in which the piston rod 92 is not extended upward. In this state, the horizontal guide 86A is in a lowered position and the roller 712 is not lifted. That is, it is a default state in which the base portion 71 does not rotate relative to the moving portion 81. In addition, the base portion 71 is in a position moved to the front end of the linear guide 82. That is, Figure 16A and Figure 16B The state is a state in which the cloth wiping unit 70 is in the retracted position where it does not clean the nozzle arrangement surface 3A, and the wiping area 7W is in the retracted posture away from the nozzle arrangement surface 3A.

[0114] Figure 17A and Figure 17BIt is a left and right side view of the cloth wiping device 7A, and is a diagram showing the state of the cloth wiping unit 70 in the cleaning position. The cloth wiping unit 70 moves slightly backward. The piston rod 92 extends upward, and the horizontal guide 86A is lifted to the raised position. As the horizontal guide 86A rises, the roller 712 is lifted, and the base part 71 rotates with the bearing bushing 711 inserted by the rotating pin 811 as a rotating fulcrum so that the front end portion is lifted. Through this rotation, the wiping area 7W is also lifted, and the posture is changed to a cleaning posture in which the cloth piece FS of the wiping area 7W is in contact with the nozzle configuration surface 3A. In this state, the cloth wiping unit 70 moves further backward, thereby performing cloth wiping cleaning on the nozzle surface 40 of the ink head 4.

[0115] According to the above-described modified embodiment, the height position of the wiping area 7W can be freely adjusted. Specifically, by adjusting the extension of the piston rod 92, the degree of rotation of the base portion 71 can be adjusted, and thus the height position of the wiping area 7W can be adjusted. Therefore, there is no need to strictly align the height position of the wiping area 7W with the height position of the nozzle arrangement surface 3A in the cleaning posture. Furthermore, the extension of the piston rod 92 can be used to adjust the amount of pressure applied by the cloth sheet FS of the wiping area 7W to the nozzle arrangement surface 3A.

[0116] [Summarize]

[0117] According to the inkjet printer 1 of the present embodiment described above, the following method of cleaning the nozzle arrangement surface 3A can be realized.

[0118] In the cloth wiping unit 70, a wiping area 7W based on the cloth sheet FS is set between the drawing portion 72 and the pulling portion 73 of the cloth sheet FS.

[0119] When the nozzle arrangement surface 3A is not being cleaned, the cloth wiping unit 70 is moved to the retreat position so that the wiping area 7W is separated from the nozzle arrangement surface 3A and is on standby.

[0120] When cleaning the nozzle arrangement surface 3A, the cloth wiping unit 70 is moved to the cleaning position so that the wiping area 7W comes into contact with the nozzle arrangement surface 3A, and the nozzle arrangement surface 3A is cleaned by cloth wiping.

[0121] In this embodiment, a posture changing mechanism 90 is provided, and when the cloth wiping unit 70 is moved to the cleaning position, the wiping area 7W is naturally brought into contact with the nozzle configuration surface 3A. Therefore, compared with the case where a mechanism for movement in the front-to-back direction and for raising and lowering the wiping area 7W are provided separately for the cloth wiping unit 70, the structure can be greatly simplified. That is, the following structure is adopted: the cloth wiping unit 70 rotates relative to the moving portion 81 that moves linearly along the linear guide 82, and changes its posture from the retreat posture to the cleaning posture. That is, the movement and raising and lowering of the wiping area 7W can be achieved only by mounting the cloth wiping unit 70 on the moving portion 81, and a driving source for posture change is not required. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a cleaning device and a cleaning method can be provided that can achieve a nozzle configuration surface that is simplified as much as possible.

[0122] Description of reference numerals:

[0123] 1Inkjet printer (inkjet recording device)

[0124] 4 ink heads

[0125] 5Pre-treatment head (treatment liquid head)

[0126] 6 post-processing heads

[0127] 7-cloth wiping device

[0128] 70 cloth wiping unit

[0129] 7W wipe area

[0130] 71 base

[0131] 711 bearing bushing (rotation fulcrum)

[0132] 712 roller (contact part)

[0133] 713 rack (second gear)

[0134] 72 extraction unit 72

[0135] 72L, 73L torque limiter

[0136] 73 traction unit

[0137] 74 Pressing roller

[0138] 741, 751 one-way clutch

[0139] 742 pulley

[0140] 75 transport roller

[0141] 75G roller gear (first gear)

[0142] 76 conveyor belt

[0143] 77 injection unit

[0144] 80 mobile units

[0145] 81 Mobile Department

[0146] 82 linear guides (direct motion guides)

[0147] 85 cloth to wipe the moving motor

[0148] 86 Posture Change Guide

[0149] 861 First Area

[0150] 862 Second Area

[0151] 863 inclined part

[0152] 90 posture change mechanism.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface, wherein a nozzle for ejecting liquid is arranged on a nozzle arrangement surface, The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface comprises: a cloth wiping unit having a cloth sheet drawing portion and a pulling portion, and a wiping area based on the cloth sheet between the drawing portion and the pulling portion; a moving unit capable of moving the cloth wiping unit between a cleaning position for cleaning the nozzle arrangement surface and a retreat position for not performing the cleaning; as well as The posture changing mechanism can change the posture of the wiping area so that the wiping area is in a cleaning posture in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface at the cleaning position and in a retracted posture away from the nozzle arrangement surface at the retracted position.

2. The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface according to claim 1, wherein: The moving unit includes a linear guide and a moving portion movable along the linear guide. The cloth wiping unit is mounted on the moving portion and can change its position between the cleaning position and the retracted position relative to the moving portion.

3. The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface according to claim 2, wherein: The cloth wiping unit is mounted on the moving portion in a manner rotatable relative to the moving portion. The posture changing mechanism includes a posture changing guide extending along the linear guide and abutted by the abutting portion of the cloth wiping unit when the moving portion moves. The posture change guide includes a first area that sets the wiping area in the retreat posture and a second area that sets the wiping area in the cleaning posture. When the contact portion contacts the second area, the cloth wiping unit rotates relative to the moving portion so that the wiping area is positioned in the cleaning posture.

4. The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface according to claim 3, wherein: The cloth wiping unit includes a base portion to which the drawing portion and the pulling portion are assembled. The base portion includes a rotation fulcrum for rotating relative to the moving portion and the abutment portion arranged in a diagonal direction to the rotation fulcrum. The first region extends along the extension direction of the linear guide at a first height, the second region extends along the extension direction of the linear guide at a second height different from the first height, and the first region and the second region are connected by an inclined portion. When the contact portion is in sliding contact with the first area, the base portion does not rotate about the rotation fulcrum, and the wiping area is brought into the retreat posture. When the contact portion slides in contact with the second area, the base portion rotates about the rotation fulcrum to bring the wiping area into the cleaning posture.

5. The cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface according to claim 1, wherein: The posture changing mechanism comprises: a horizontal guide extending horizontally along the linear guide and being abutted by the abutment portion of the cloth wiping unit when the moving portion moves; and A lifting mechanism enables the horizontal guide to move up and down.

6. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface further comprises: a conveying roller configured to convey the cloth sheet from the drawing portion through the wiping area toward the traction portion; as well as A linkage mechanism links the cloth wiping unit's posture change operation from the retracted posture to the cleaning posture with the conveying roller's rotational operation around its axis.

7. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface further comprises: a conveying roller configured to convey the cloth sheet from the drawing portion through the wiping area toward the traction portion; a first gear mounted on the rotating shaft of the conveying roller; as well as a second gear meshing with the first gear and mounted on the moving portion, When the cloth wiping unit rotates relative to the moving portion and reaches the cleaning posture, the first gear rotates to rotate the conveying roller about its axis.

8. The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface according to claim 6, wherein: The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device further includes a one-way clutch configured to rotate the conveying roller only in a direction in which the cloth is fed out.

9. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface further comprises: a pressing roller that presses the cloth sheet of the wiping area against the nozzle arrangement surface; and The pulley is mounted on the rotating shaft of the pressing roller so as to be in contact with the nozzle arrangement surface and keeps the distance between the peripheral surface of the pressing roller and the nozzle arrangement surface constant.

10. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device further includes a sprayer configured to spray a cleaning liquid toward the cloth sheet located upstream of the wiping area.

11. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: The extraction part is a reeling roller around which unused cloth pieces are wound, and the pulling part is a reeling roller around which used cloth pieces are wound. Torque limiters are mounted on the rotation shafts of the unwinding roller and the winding roller.

12. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 11, wherein: The cleaning device for the nozzle arrangement surface further comprises: a conveying roller configured to convey the cloth sheet from the drawing portion through the wiping area toward the pulling portion; and A transfer belt interlocks the rotation axis of the conveying roller and the rotation axis of the take-up roller.

13. The nozzle arrangement surface cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein: The nozzle arrangement surface is provided with nozzles of a pre-processing head for ejecting a pre-processing liquid, a post-processing head for ejecting a post-processing liquid, and a plurality of ink heads for ejecting ink. The cleaning device for a nozzle arrangement surface on which nozzles for ejecting liquid are arranged further includes a cleaning control unit for setting a cleaning order of the nozzle arrangement surface by the cloth wiping unit.

14. A method for cleaning a nozzle arrangement surface, the method comprising: A wiping area based on the cloth is set between the extraction part and the pulling part of the cloth. When the nozzle arrangement surface is not being cleaned, the wiping area is kept away from the nozzle arrangement surface and is on standby. When cleaning the nozzle arrangement surface, the wiping area is brought into contact with the nozzle arrangement surface to clean the nozzle arrangement surface.

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